Betty's Bacon-White Cheddar-Chicken Sandwich

Betty demonstrates how to make a Bacon-White Cheddar-Chicken Sandwich. This is a large sandwich on French bread that can be sliced into individual portions.

Bacon-White Cheddar-Chicken Sandwich

1 loaf fresh, soft French bread
2 tablespoons softened butter, for spreading bread
1 small to medium purple onion, sliced in ¼-inch slices
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil for caramelizing onion
2 tablespoons additional butter for skillet
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil for skillet
8 chicken tenderloins, about 1 ¼ pounds altogether
freshly-ground coarse salt, to taste
freshly-ground black peppercorns, to taste
ground red cayenne pepper, to taste
¾ cup flour, spread in a flat dish
2 well-beaten eggs, spread in a flat dish
¼ cup water, added to the beaten eggs to form egg wash
2 cups panko bread crumbs, spread in a flat dish
6 to 8 slices crisp bacon
6 thin slices Cheddar cheese
Tarragon Spread (Recipe available in Betty's Kitchen—or you may use mayonnaise.)

Slice French bread horizontally into two halves. Spread each half with 1 tablespoon softened butter. Place buttered bread, buttered side down, in a very large skillet over medium heat to toast. Remove from heat and set aside. In a small skillet heat 1 tablespoon olive oil. Separate purple onion into rings and place them in heated oil. Saute, stirring until onions are caramel-colored. Remove from heat and set aside. Now, prepare your chicken. Place plastic wrap under and above each chicken tenderloin, one at a time, and pound slightly with a meat mallet to make the chicken thinner and tenderized. Once this is complete, season each piece of chicken with freshly ground salt, freshly ground black peppercorns, and ground red cayenne pepper, all to taste. Now, use tongs to dip each seasoned piece of chicken into the flour to coat, then into the egg wash to coat, and finally into the panko bread crumbs to coat. Place each coated piece of chicken on a waiting platter. When all chicken pieces are coated, heat 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet. (Use more, if needed, to make the level of oil about 3/8-inch.) When oil mixture is hot, use tongs to carefully place each piece of breaded chicken into hot oil mixture. It should sizzle, but not be smoking hot. Cook the chicken until the bottom side is brown and the chicken is cooked half-way through to the top. Then, turn each piece of chicken with tongs and cook until browned on the other side. Each piece of chicken should be cooked all the way through. Remove each piece of chicken to a waiting platter that is covered with paper toweling to drain. Now, assemble your sandwich. Place the two halves of the toasted French bread on a cutting board. Spread each half with desired amount of Tarragon Spread (or mayonnaise). Next, place half of the caramelized onions on each of the two bread halves. After placing the onion, place 4 of the hot, cooked chicken pieces on each of the two bread halves. Some of the chicken may hang over the edge or need to be trimmed. Next, divide 6 to 8 pieces of crisp bacon between 2 halves, distributing evenly. On top of the bacon pieces, place 3 thin slices of white cheddar cheese, covering the bacon evenly. At this point, bake at 375 degrees (F) for about 5 to 10 minutes, until cheddar cheese is brown and bubbly. Remove from heat and place on cutting board. If you plan to serve this as an open-faced sandwich, use a bread knife to cut it vertically into serving-sized pieces. If you choose, you may invert the top half of the sandwich over the bottom half, making a very thick, but wonderful, whole-sized sandwich. Cut into pieces with a bread knife, using diagonal cuts. Either way, transfer to a nice serving dish, and serve immediately. I hope you love this sandwich! --Betty ♡♥♡♥♡

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